RB Terry Swanson, Texans (1 Viewer)

Longtucky Lemmings said:

Thanks for posting this.  I hadn't even heard of him before.

Watched some highlights.  Nice little back.  I can see why he went undrafted.  I can also see how, if the chips fall right, this is the kind of kid who could be a cheap wildcard difference maker for a redraft season.

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stuckinthemuck said:

I found out about him when Sigmund Bloom tweeted out this article "Texans hope Terry Swanson is next Kareem Hunt". That's the type of breathless headline you expect in mid-May so caution is definitely warranted, but this is the time of year when savvy fantasy owners are looking out for that next diamond in the rough. 

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Lamar Miller’s hold of the Texans’ RB job is somewhat fragile. You don’t get a vibe that the Texans are attached to the guy long-term as their workhorse back. There have also been numerous concerns over the years about his ability to hold up to a full workload. This led D’Onta Foreman’s value to soar after he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2017 draft.

I also had high hopes and could see him stealing snaps from Miller. However, Torn Achilles injuries are absolutely devastating to players in all sports. As soon as the Achilles goes, so does all explosion. It’s often noted that it can be challenging to regain ankle range of motion and leg strength after an Achilles tear. Return to the same level of sports or exercise experienced prior to the injury is possible, but it is not guaranteed. Approximately only a third of professional athletes return to their form prior to the injury.

We know that the other guys on the roster such as Alfred Blue are garbage. But, I’m interested in the Texans’ 2018 UDFA, Terry Swanson. I truly think he can make an impact in his rookie season, similar to Austin Ekeler did last year on the Chargers.

Swanson arrives from Toledo after taking over as the lead back following the departure of Kareem Hunt the year before. And Swanson did well with the opportunity. In his Senior year as the starter, Swanson accumulated 1,557 yards from scrimmage with 14 TDs. A full breakdown of his college production can be seen below:

Rushing & Receiving Table

RushingReceivingScrimmage

YearSchoolConfClassPosGAttYdsAvgTDRecYdsAvgTDPlaysYdsAvgTD

*2014ToledoMACFRRB121137326.561215312.811258857.17

*2015ToledoMACSORB111439236.5713715.501569946.47

*2016ToledoMACJRRB131165835.0410747.411266575.25

*2017ToledoMACSRRB1324213635.614201949.7026215575.914

CareerToledo61436015.931554928.9266940936.133

Data courtesy CFB at Sports-Reference.com.

By no means do I believe that Swanson will step into an every-down role in the near future. At 5’10”, 205 pounds, it’s unlikely that he will be able to fit that mold better than Miller. Albeit likely with a bit of bias, when asked by Nate Burleson who he thought would be a breakout rookie, Kareem Hunt answered Terry Swanson.

At his pro day, Swanson exhibited a strong athletic profile. He had a 4.51 40-yard dash (which would have been 6th at the combine), and 24 reps on the bench press (4th at the combine). What I enjoy the most about Swanson is his vision and ability to break away. He averaged 5.9 YPC in his Senior year and his vision, speed, and strength lead me to believe he will complement Miller well in a change of pace role.

In terms of efficiency, Miller had the worst season of his career last year. Opportunity is rising. Swanson reminds me of Jerick McKinnon. He may not profile as a prototypical workhorse at first but if he performs well in a complementary role as McKinnon once did, we may see him thrust into a starting gig down the road. Swanson doesn’t necessarily have the same draft capital behind him that McKinnon had, but the other similarities are glaring.

Swanson has a price tag as close to free as you’re bound to get these days. He is likely being drafted in the 4th round or later, and at that stage, there are few prospects that have such limited talent in front of them on the depth chart.

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stuckinthemuck said:

read this Dynasty Nerds article "Forget Foreman…It’s Swanson Time"

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tombonneau said:

I watched some tape after getting him on my radar from a mini-hype article and then the Dr. Dan post. He looks like definition of JAG. Had the same feeling when I was watching preseason Rob Kelley tape. Sure the cards might fall right and he might plod along and give you RB2/flex numbers one year, but just doesn't look like he'll be a factor in the NFL IMO. Also, if he went to Akron instead of Toledo and there were be no lazy "next Kareem Hunt" takes, I don't think we're having this conversation.

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Dr. Dan said:

I like how he hits the hole. He seems to have good vision, doesn't seem to dance behind the LOS. He doesn't look exciting, or terribly explosive- there are a few plays where he shows some, but most he hits the hole and goes. I wish I could see more highlights of him moving piles and breaking tackles, but I believe that is one of his negatives. 

I think opportunity is everything, and Swanson really has a great opportunity. There are so many great backs I think never got an opportunity in the NFL, and vice versa- many below average backs who got opportunities and ran with them, literally. I don't see much of anything super special in Swanson, but I see a guy who could very well be the best back on his roster, and that's all a guy needs. Let the chips fall where they may after that. We've seen a lot of bad backs on paper have exceptional careers in the NFL. A former HOU RB is one of them. 
The best part, he's free

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Dr. Dan said:

It's refreshing to see a fantasy football website talking so honestly about the Achilles tear. Every time I read a FBG article it says "Achilles aren't as bad as they use to be." 

For a RB, you may as well fuse his ankle and ask him to run... it's just as devastating. Of course, maybe GHG and antler spray or whatever else they're taking can help perform miracles. Maybe that's what makes these injuries "not as bad as they used to be."
 

True on the Akron/Toledo remark. I also think if Hunt wasn't his teammate, he wouldn't be mentioning him as a RB to break out of the 2018 draft. I think we could still be having this conversation if everything was equal but he went to Akron instead of Toledo. I am not interested in him becaue of lazy Kareem Hunt remarks. I'm interested because of his opportunity and resume

I like how he hits the hole. He seems to have good vision, doesn't seem to dance behind the LOS. He doesn't look exciting, or terribly explosive- there are a few plays where he shows some, but most he hits the hole and goes. I wish I could see more highlights of him moving piles and breaking tackles, but I believe that is one of his negatives. 

I think opportunity is everything, and Swanson really has a great opportunity. There are so many great backs I think never got an opportunity in the NFL, and vice versa- many below average backs who got opportunities and ran with them, literally. I don't see much of anything super special in Swanson, but I see a guy who could very well be the best back on his roster, and that's all a guy needs. Let the chips fall where they may after that. We've seen a lot of bad backs on paper have exceptional careers in the NFL. A former HOU RB is one of them. 
The best part, he's free

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An Achilles tendon rupture is a devastating injury that prevents RTP for 30.6% of professional players. Athletes who do return play in fewer games, have less play time, and perform at a lower level than their preinjury status. However, these functional deficits are seen only at 1 year after surgery compared with matched controls, such that players who return to play can expect to perform at a level commensurate with uninjured controls 2 years postoperatively.

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